The subject matter disclosed herein relates to steam monitoring systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for steam quality monitoring and determination of droplet size distribution.
Steam is used in a wide range of applications covering many industries, such as heat transfer, power generation, and transportation. For example, steam may be used as a motive force in a steam turbine to convert thermal energy into rotary energy. A steam quality requirement, which may correspond to a moisture content of the steam, varies depending on the application. For example, steam turbines may require a high steam quality because a low steam quality may cause reduced efficiency and/or erosion of steam turbine components. Existing steam quality monitoring instruments typically use optical signals. Unfortunately, the accuracy of existing steam quality monitoring instruments may be negatively affected because of the effects of large water droplets on optical signals. Therefore, there is a need for an improved steam quality monitoring system to address one or more of the aforementioned issues.